The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-06-23
EDUoA1IoN NO. VIZ.
schools Should Attract and Delight
School Sessions too LGng--Is I'm.
prov msnt Possible ?---The
March of Mind

MR. KDIT0R-In continuing these ar
tieles 6ud the labor not dissgreeable,
although interfering semswhA with
huainsss duties, and enerOaehlng upon
tim that might be otherwise occupied.
Be ieyiug that our public schools
ehOnid be 30 managed as to draw the
youth OF our town "a with the power OF
attraction, rather than 10 repel and dis.
gust them, 40 they advance In years. l
continue these articles, hoping TO bring
about such happy contamination.
Our tife school buildings, arranged
and provided as they are, should GER
talnly attract our youth more and more.
as they advance In years; and certainly
would, were the schools what they
ought to be In the essential part. /
have ever believed that wisdom's ways
are pleasant, and under the true teacher
ire wonderfully 80. Why should not
he school room be constant nelight2
Why should not tHe teacher so aim, ever
and alwayep have long thought that
me daily excessive confinement OF five
pr six hours In the school room has
much to d. In disturbing the nerves and
creating trouble and di1gus'. Usually
school Opene with sunshine and hRr
mOny, but after an hour or 80. uneas,
ness begins, and the confusion gels
worse and worse until teacher aud pu-
pill, are, perhaps, at lOagerheads. The
eal secret is 0Vertaxing the nervous
system.
These long hours Of daily tedious con
finpment are rendered s,ill verse by tn
lack of riety and nov lty, through the
limited knowledge OF the teach II, as to
wing proper assistance to his pupils
In the leading, interrogating way some.
Zines cen In courts Of law when capa-
be lawyers are engaged.
hope TO be cOnSidorate and C0nSerY-
stive In treating this question; though
some may regard the articles rather
acute, plain speaking Is necessary TO a
full understanding Of the subject.
believe In the teacher bling faithful to
his occupation, and not miEgliDg too
much with commerce, or having too
ANY outside irons In the FIRE. II he
Il not true teacher. devoted to HE
work. giving 1t his thought and best
ttention at all times, let him step out
and give way to slme one more capable,
whose heart Is in the cause. No one
hOuId be allowed to stand In the way
OF the rising generation. Life Is toe
short and time too valuable TO admit OF
this t. sa. .FY 1s
The fact is, as q people, we need gen
raj instruction and cultivated under
standings. Such q people are not Sc
likely 10 be T. Q dupes of demsgOgnes,
and the property OF ambition. We ar
N danger from ignorance, or falss
EnOwl ledge, Artfui men by din ant
clamor may man ge fools and madmen.
when they could do nothing with people
Uf good sense. Those then, who spreaG
true knowledge, are true friends Of che
country, and deServt encouragement
from the good mem bers OF society.
| know then of no subject more
worthy Of our Gre aud thought thar
lh5 education of the rising generation
BY education | mean all that Plato,
Rousseau and Spencer contemplate, foI
n 9se authors include the body as well
as the mind. "a sound mind In sound
BODY" was Greek maxim, recognized
in all ages since as good philosophy.
Whether fl Ter or philosopher, man
should attend to Is profession, and con
stantly refresh at the fountain.
Machine teaching, like machine music,
is not the genuine article. 1t 10 not
sent out from the inspired soul OK true
artist r..
am not making war upon our com.
mon schools. nor upon ttO9 connected
Herewith. The public are paying enOr-
mously for these schools wishing to
give to the youth Of our land, one and
Ill, q fair education, to qlslify for bust
ness and Intelligent citizenship.
have been showing that the system Is sc
| terribly defective that 1t is far fr0m
accomplishing these desirable results
| avn also desire US that the good citizens
of Canton shall understand these de-
fects, in order that they may seek and
apply the remedy. | believe that tm.
prOVement Ia possible.
do not claim tnat the schools Of Can
ION are vastly worse than those Of other
owns, for / have not the data to com,
pare, and invidiOus comparisons are
dangerous. I do however, maintain
that our schools are very far from what
t. ey 'ught to be. They are not up to,
ind ongeide with our own beat intel
ligence. l. cannot be said with truth
hat our principal teachers range with
)ur best Intelligence; that they are well
cad and cultivated; that they are per
sons fit to appear and to shine In good
,ociety; that they keep abreast with the
knowledge and thought of the day. 1t
my be said, nevertheless, that ours are
"a gord as the average, and, generally
speaking, as good as can be hadl Well,
IL such be the csse, how unfortunate
are wei
When the ancient 2 mo consulted the
oracle In what manner he should live,
the answer was that he should inquire
Jf the dead. The idea was that he
,hOuld profit by and improve on those
" no had gone before. And here may
come In matter to be thought of In all
this connection: Oar lives, at best, are
ut q "span-long," and our time limited
FOR RcqnisitiOn. How important then
hat this time, In childhood and youth,
pe employed to the best advantage; that
Ill proper and competent assistance be
rendered, with view TO prepare body
md mind, 90 as TO confer the highest
BENEFITS and promote the greatest hap
pineas. aef 8s ..rp"
II is remarkable fact that Pestalozzi
achieved his greatest success with his
school at StsntZ, when be had no books
or appliances of ordinary teaching, and
when "the only object Of his sttenti tion
,as to find out at each moment what
instruction his children stood peculiarly
In need Of, and what was the best man
ner of connecting 1t with the knowledge
they already possessed" His sympa
thetic nature had much to do with shap-
ing his COURSE. His pIars were not the
resuIt of reason, in arranging and form
ing system of education. He was q
man Of large heart and unbounded SYM
Dathy, and did a great work that left its
I'm nroao v,nou mankind Would that we